BIGGER PICTURE, A

David Hockney (b. 1937) has always been closely associated with Pop Art and California, where he has lived for much of his life. This major study of his work, published to accompany the exhibition showing at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, redefines him as an important painter of the English countryside, presenting his recent landscapes for the first time. In an attempt to renew contemporary art, Hockney has returned to painting in the open air, observing with honesty and intensity the scenery of his childhood in East Yorkshire. Marco Livingstone explores this bold departure in the context of Hockney's sixty-year career, while other contributors address the artists place in the landscape tradition, his recent video works and their relationship to English landscape film-making, and his ongoing use of new technologies. Illustrated with paintings, iPad drawings and video stills, many of which have never been seen before, this landmark publication confirms David Hockney as one of the greatest artists of his generation.